


Law Around These Here Parts

by Metal_Chocobo



Category: Women's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Gen, Robbery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 10:52:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8575510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Chocobo/pseuds/Metal_Chocobo
Summary: It was just Hannah's luck that the train to her first official posting was held up.





	

“Put the ring in the bag or I’m taking it and your finger too,” a disheveled man growled. He pointed a revolver in the distressed woman’s face.

Hannah reached for her gun, knowing she had to act, but not certain how best to control the situation. It was just her luck that the train to her first official posting was held up. While she had a gun and badge, she was still wetter behind the ears than a newborn kitten. She didn’t know how to take down three armed gunmen on her own without anyone getting shot—well, anyone but the gunmen.

When the woman started silently sobbing, refusing to take off her ring and simply accept her fate, Hannah drew her gun. She had to do something. She felt the cool metal kiss of a barrel against her temple before she could even lift her arm. Hannah froze.

“Looks like we got ourselves a hero,” another gunman laughed. 

Hannah heard him cock his pistol and she felt a burst of anger in her chest. This wasn’t how things were supposed to end. She was a US Marshal, damn it; she shouldn’t have her brains splattered across the train windows before she even met her first boss. There wasn’t much she could accomplish with a gun to her head before he pulled the trigger, but she wasn’t about to go down without so much as a squeak.

A gunshot rang out. Less than a second later, two more cracking shots followed, and all three of the train robbers slumped to the floor. Hannah whirled around with her revolver raised. At the back of the car a slouched figure sprawled across a bench with a smoking colt in hand. With the flick of a finger, the figure pushed back a worn black hat, revealing a tanned woman’s face. She blew smoke off the barrel of her gun and holstered the weapon.

Though she no longer held gun in her hand, Hannah kept hers trained on the woman. This lady had just gunned down three people. People weren’t supposed to do that! Even if they were train robbers, this sort of swift justice was supposed to be left up to the professional lawmen, like Hannah. However, at the moment she didn’t feel very professional.

“If you’re not going to shoot me, put that thing away,” she growled and Hannah found herself unable to resist her commanding tone. “You look green around the gills.”

A blonde woman with a ratty ponytail burst into the train compartment carrying a sawed off shotgun. Before Hannah could draw her weapon again, Ponytail tossed the shotgun at Black Hat’s feet. “Checked the rest of the train, Boss. They had a lookout in the last compartment, but I took care of him. Do you want his gun?”

“Kess, that damn thing’s so riddled with cracks it’ll blow up the moment anybody pulls the trigger,” she laughed, pulling off her hat and slapping it against her knee, which revealed that her hair was pulled into a tight bun. “Shit, if it weren’t for the uncontrolled shrapnel flying everywhere, I woulda paid good money to see how badly he’d have injured himself firing that thing!”

“Ma’am, please watch your language. There are ladies present,” Hannah said. The pair turned to look at her as if they had completely forgotten about her.

“Perhaps we spoke outta turn, seeing as there are ladies present,” Kess said, nodding in acknowledgement at the now slightly less scared passengers watching their interaction with rapt attention, “but what gives you the right to police our actions on our turf?”

“Deputy US Marshal, Hannah Brandt,” Hannah said, pulling aside her overcoat to reveal her badge. The shine hadn’t even had the time to dim yet.

“You should take to wearing that on the outside,” Boss said. “Most folks don’t attempt train heists right in front of the law. Could have saved me three bullets.”

“Shoot, Boss, they were fools trying something like that in our county with you on board,” Kess laughed. “You probably would have had to shoot them anyway and then dealt with a dead Fed.”

“Perhaps.”

“You’re the county sheriff?” Hannah asked eagerly. This far west the Marshal Service went hand in hand with the local law enforcement agencies and she looked forward to a sound working relationship.

“Well… I’m the law around these here parts,” she smirked. Kess made a short barking laugh, quickly lapsing into silence. Hannah shot her a questioning look.

“Boss keeps everyone in line,” Kess grinned. “Quickest shot around, though I’m a better sniper.”

“You just keep telling yourself that, Kess.”

Together the trio returned the stolen valuables to their owners. A few times when someone tried to claim something the sheriff gave them a hard look and they’d retract their statement, usually while mumbling something about being mistaken. Those items were eventually claimed by their proper owners, but by the time they finished visiting all the robbed cars, there were still half a dozen coins of varying denominations in the bag. With a shrug Kess pocketed them after getting her superior’s approval.

After that Hannah talked with the pair for a short spell. She quickly found that Kess was not only pretty, but also had a dry wit that easily put her in stitches. Her boss was mostly silent, as it seemed she did most of her speaking with her gun. Everyone listened to that. As they approached Precious Moss both of Hannah’s new friends rose with a groan.

“This is our stop,” Kess explained and Hannah tried not to look sad about their departure.

“Gee, it was mighty pleasant working with you two,” Hannah said as they headed for the door. “I’d love to work with you again, Sheriff, and talk to you for a spell more, Kess.”

Kess laughed at that, which made Hannah blush. As they exited the train the sheriff glanced back at Hannah appraisingly. On the wooden station platform she paused. Kess turned to her inquiringly. The sheriff nodded as if coming to a decision.

“Tell you what, Brandt. If you ever want to come by for a visit, stop at the saloon and ask for Noora. If you’re lucky, I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Is that you?” Hannah asked.

“Yes Deputy,” Noora grinned. She leapt onto the back of a chestnut horse waiting by the station. Kess followed suit with a palomino. Noora’s horse reared up as the train doors stuck, but the gunhand just waved at Hannah, then took off like a shot as the train started up again. Kess didn’t spare Hannah a second glance.

The train chugged on for another hour before they reached a stop large enough to deal with all the bodies on the train. Luckily, it also happened to be Hannah’s stop and after explaining the situation to the local authorities, she found herself repeating the story to her new supervisor.

“Do you know who you met, Brandt?” Marshal Chu demanded, falling back against her leather chair with a look of resignation on her face.

“Precious Moss’s sheriff? Though Noora didn’t actually call herself that,” Hannah mused.

“That was Noora Räty, the most dangerous outlaw this side of the Mississippi!” Marshal Chu snapped. “The Governor’s taken the bounty off her head because her body count’s wracked up too high to send anyone else after her. She owns Gallop County. As for Kess, that girl you were batting your eyelashes at, that’s Amanda Kessel, a former army ranger and Räty’s second in command.”

“Well shoot,” Hannah said. There went her courting plans for Kess. She should have realized Noora was no good; she was wearing a black hat.

“You’re lucky they didn’t kill you. That’s how I lost your last four predecessors.”

“Aww, they didn’t seem the sort to just shoot a person for no reason,” Hannah said. “No one seemed particularly bothered by them once the robbers were dead.”

“Crime’s practically nonexistent in Gallop County,” Marshal Chu admitted. “However, she rules with a rain of bullets. Unless you want me writing back East for yet another replacement, you’ll make sure to stay out of Precious Moss.”

“Course boss. Wouldn’t want that,” Hannah agreed. However, she was already silently making plans to visit a certain saloon and see a pair of outlaws again. Maybe she could talk them into being law-abiding citizens. It was worth a shot.


End file.
